Saturday Explorations

Today I started the day at Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin Georgia. It is located at

8930 Canyon Road
Lumpkin, GA 31815

I hiked the 7 mile Backcountry Trail (red blaze). The red blaze ends and you pick up on the Canyon Loop Trail (white blaze).

According to Georgia State Parks Website

“Backcountry Trail

7 mile loop. Allow at least 6 hours. Rated extremely rugged and difficult. Blazed red.

The 7-mile Backcountry Trail leads into the forested area off of the White Blaze Canyon Loop Trail. The beginning of it is ¼ of a mile down the Loop Trail at the creek bed itself. Instead of turning left into the canyons, turn right on the creek bed. This is the beginning of the Backcountry Trail, which winds through some river birch. After about two miles, it becomes rugged, ascending a steep grade. It follows an old logging road, where most of the primitive campsites are located. At site #2, a shortcut is available which will shorten the trail about ¾ of a mile. Further down the trail, as the trail becomes rugged again, six canyons may be viewed, but they are not accessible to the hikers. The Backcountry Trail will dead-end into the Loop Trail, where hikers will turn right. This will continue through the day use area. Follow the fence line through the picnic area for the best overlooks, returning to the visitor center.”

AllTrails gave me a more realistic idea of what the trail would be like. AllTrails said it was a moderate trail that would take about 3 hrs 3 minutes to complete.

Although the one warning that it would take 6 hours to complete and the other realistic option, I decided I was up for the challenge. It took me about 2 1/2 hours to complete along with photo detours. I would say the red blaze trail is mostly easy but with a few very difficult areas. I did not take the shortcut mentioned at backcountry sites 1&2. Once you’re on the white blaze the hike is easy.

Since I didn’t hike much in the actual canyon, I mostly got photos along the rim once I was on the white blaze.

By the time I finished my hike, the park was packed, people parking illegally everywhere; it was a little challenging to maneuver to drive out of the park, but I made it out in one piece.

After I got out of the people park, I headed to Pasaquan in Buena Vista, Georgia.

Pasaquan is located at

238 Eddie Martin Road
Buena Vista, Georgia

According to the Pasaquan website,

“Eddie Owens Martin, a self-taught Southern artist, drew inspiration from many colorful cultures to develop the 7-acre, internationally recognized visionary art environment known as Pasaquan.

Martin’s artistic journey started at age 14 when he left his hometown of Buena Vista, Georgia, to embark on a hitchhiking adventure to Atlanta and Washington, D.C., before settling in New York. In the Big Apple, he worked as a street hustler, bartender, gambler and drag queen. He even gave fortunetelling a try at age 37.

In 1957, after the death of his mother, Martin came home to Georgia and continued his fortunetelling flair for pay. Donning ravishing robes and feathered headdresses, Eddie moved into his mother’s old farmhouse and used his oracle occupation to help fund his vision of Pasaquan.

Martin also changed his name to St. EOM (pronounced Ohm) and became the first Pasaquoyan. He continued to work on the art environment for 30 years, creating six major structures, mandala murals and more than 900 feet of elaborately painted masonry walls.

Pasaquan lavishly fuses African, pre-Columbian Mexico and Native American cultural and religious symbols and designs, along with motifs inspired by Edward Churchward’s books about “The Lost Continent of MU.”

After a few years of declining health, St. EOM committed suicide in 1986. Pasaquan began to fade – literally and figuratively. For 30 years, the Pasaquan Preservation Society (PPS) worked tirelessly to preserve the site. During 2014, philanthropic organization Kohler Foundation Inc., PPS and Columbus State University partnered to bring the visionary art site back to life.

Today, Pasaquan is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered among the most important visionary art environments in the United States.”